The return of Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc to a two-thirds majority in the Lower House has all but sidelined a spate of political fund problems that hit Cabinet members before the snap election. But it has not erased them.

With the adoption of Japan's first comprehensive guideline for security policy and diplomacy, the Abe Cabinet appears to operate under the illusion that the use of force ultimately could resolve the difficult situation the nation finds itself in.

More than a half year after the inauguration of the Abe Cabinet, Japan’s bilateral relations with China and South Korea remain chilly. South Korean President Park Geun-hye met with U.S. President Barack Obama in early May in Washington. Although South Korean leaders traditionally follow ...